Focus

Niger's desert city of Agadez has long been at the heart of migration routes. Once home to camel caravans, Agadez is now one of the primary transit points for migrants hoping to make their way to Europe through Libya. It is here that French President Emmanuel Macron wants to set up migrant processing centres so that asylum seekers don't make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean. FRANCE 24's team on the ground reports.

As world leaders discuss climate change in Paris, we bring you a report from Spain, which has been in the grip of drought since 2014. One of the consequences is the plight of the Tagus, the longest river in the Iberian peninsula, stretching 1,000 kilometres across Spain and Portugal. Drought, inadequate water management and pollution are threatening the future of the river, as Mélina Huet and Sarah Morris report. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Jimena Morales-Velasco.

On Tuesday December 12, an election for a US Senate seat will take place in the state of Alabama. Despite credible claims of sexual misconduct from at least a dozen accusers, the Republican candidate Roy Moore still has the backing of his party – and of President Donald Trump. The election has turned into a question of how far Republican voters are willing to go to support their party. Our correspondent Philip Crowther went to meet some of them. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett, Emerald Maxwell and Jimena Morales-Velasco.

In Senegal, despite the country's hundreds of kilometers of coastline, a recent report on marine pollution is likely to put you off going for a swim. The ocean around the Dakar peninsula is contaminated with traces of pollutants, often in significant quantities according to a recent study. One major cause is sewage due to just a single treatment plant in the capital - home to 20 percent of the country's population. The study was led by the civil society with the support of the Research Institute for Development (IRD), Greenpeace, the Pasteur Institute of Dakar and the Ministry of the Environment. While the situation puts the health of residents at risk, the biggest impact has been on the fisheries sector. But tourism could be next, if nothing is done. In Dakar, Sarah Sakho reports, with Emmanuelle Landais.

Like many other countries, Tunisia is faced with increasing desertification. Yet public awareness remains limited. Sarah Toumi is a young Franco-Tunisian who's been on Emmanuel Macron's Presidential Committee for Africa for a few months now. For years, she's been fighting to revegetate her paternal country and help revitalise Tunisian soil. Her initiative is now gaining traction. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Yong Chim.

In Miami, a local law prohibits convicted sex offenders of living within 800 metres of anywhere where children congregate, such as schools, libraries and parks. As construction booms and the population grows, the convicts have ended up living in a camp on the outskirts of the city. Critics say the living conditions there are inhuman, and the tent camp is raising real concerns with the population. A program prepared by Yong Chim and Laura Burloux

Endless waiting, harsh living conditions, and dreadful weather: This is the situation for asylum seekers currently stuck on Greek islands and many of them say they're actually finding it increasingly difficult to stay sane. A number of them have developed mental problems. Our reporters accompany a team from Médecins Sans Frontières on the island of Samos as they try to help people deal with their problems. A program prepared by Yong Chim and Laura Burloux

More than 70 percent of teachers in Pakistan still believe that if you spare the rod, you'll spoil the child. Corporal punishment in the education system is still widely accepted, and is by some estimates responsible for more than 35,000 students dropping out of school each year. In May this year, a young pupil almost died at the hands of her teacher, sparking renewed debate about the practice. Our team in Pakistan reports. A program prepared by Yong Chim and Florence Viala

In Florida, people with autism can attend public schools until they are 22. After that, most of them find themselves unemployed, and stay at home. In the state, some 50 000 families are affected by this problem. But in the past five years, an increasing number of programs have been created to help these young adults find a job. A program prepared by Yong Chim and Florence Viala

The city of Raqqa in Syria, which for a long time was claimed as the de facto capital of the Islamic State group, was freed from the jihadists in October. But after months of serious fighting, led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (an alliance of Kurdish and Arab forces backed by air strikes from an international coalition), there is little left of the city. Those who made it out alive are beginning to trickle back to find their homes reduced to rubble. A program prepared by Yong Chim and Florence Viala